Is Kevlar America's Greatest Innovation?
Are you NOT from New York like myself? Then you probably didn't hear about the effort in trying to find the greatest innovation the United States came to bring the world. (But before you say it person wearing a red, white and blue shirt, no, "freedom" isn't an option.) The New York Public Radio show, The TakeAway, has put on an interesting quandary.
The options include range from GPS, the sewing machine, the electric guitar, and Kevlar - among others. If they didn't include your choice, you can nominate your own like the fill in the blank line when voting for the President. The robotic arm is even a choice. I found this announcement through a private avenue of social media. Checking it out I quickly realized law enforcement has been affected by nearly most of the items. Who better to offer their opinion than Officer.com's readers.
They provide explanations for each idea - for example, the reason why Kevlar makes the list is discussed by NYPD Former Commissioner Ray Kelly:
"In the '60s, chemist Stephanie Kwolek set out to develop a material for tires, but she inadvertently created something five times stronger than steel. The miracle fiber known as Kevlar is now used in bulletproof vests and is credited with saving thousands of lives. Listen to Ray Kelly, former commissioner of the NYC Police Department, make his case for why Kevlar is America's greatest innovation."
These are making me think, though ... my mind slips into paradoxes while I try and figure this out. A majority of these are consumer products - like the air conditioner - while others have literally changed life as we know it. Undoubtedly Kevlar has touched the lives of countless number of first responders, soldiers, officers, etc.
And then, the mobile phone (a choice), has allowed so much in the vein of communications and situational awareness that surely it deserves it's rightful place, right?
Think about it ... then vote here: www.wnyc.org/greatestinnovation. Come back afterward and write in the comments below what you voted for and why. Or did you write something else in?
Thanks, and stay safe.
Jonathan Kozlowski
Jonathan Kozlowski was with Officer.com, Law Enforcement Technology, and Law Enforcement Product News from August 2006 to 2020.
As former Managing Editor for Officer Media Group, he brought a dedicated focus to the production of the print publications and management of the Officer.com online product and company directory. You can connect with Jonathan through LinkedIn.
Jonathan participated as a judge for the 2019 and 2020 FOLIO: Eddie & Ozzie Awards. In 2012, he received an APEX Award of Excellence in the Technology & Science Writing category for his article on unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in police work, aptly titled "No Runway Needed".